BANGKOK, Thailand -- Armed with rock breaking equipment, Thai treasure hunters have started an official hunt for World War II era booty believed to be hidden inside a jungle cave.

The 60-member team, comprising army troops and experts from forestry, fine arts and mineral resources department, will drill through blocked portions of the cave for seven days, Forestry Department chief Plodprasop Suraswadi told reporters outside the cave on Monday.

More than 400 policemen and forestry officials were deployed around the area to keep at bay hundreds of people who gathered outside the Lichea Cave in Karnchaburi province, 110 kilometers (68 miles) west of Bangkok.

The gold rush started after a controversial senator, Chaovarin Lathasaksiri, announced last week that he has discovered evidence of the treasure after a five-year search.

Chaovarin claims that after a five-year search, he located the hoard, including 2,500 tons of gold and 250 U.S. Federal Reserve gold bullion bonds dated 1934 with a total face value of $25 billion.

He said the treasure, left behind by retreating Japanese soldiers during the World War II in 1945, was worth billions of dollars, which could easily wipe out Thailand's national debt of 280 billion baht ($6.2 billion).

Read More: http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/...iland.treasure/

Dear Thomas, this is a very old one (2001) and it didn't happen in the North but near Kanchanaburi.

The Golden Triangle originally got its name because gold was found in the river (the big sandbank at Ban Sobrak). Also not far from Chiang Khong gold was found in the Mekong River.

Later 'gold' was associated with the profits made with opium and heroine. The triangle was enlarged: Its southern point being Chiang Rai, left-north Kentung and right-north Luang Prabang.

Nowadays we speak about the Economic Quadrangle, including Kunming.

Limbo.

A young masseuse from Sop Ruak Road told me that 60 years ago gold was still dug at Doi Khao Quai, where supposedly a 4-eared, 5-eyed monster that ate charcoal embers used to excrete it. There are still lots of big holes on the east side of the mountain. Caves once found there have all collapsed...

A young masseuse from Sop Ruak Road told me that 60 years ago gold was still dug at Doi Khao Quai, where supposedly a 4-eared, 5-eyed monster that ate charcoal embers used to excrete it.  There are still lots of big holes on the east side of the mountain.  Caves once found there have all collapsed...

To complete the picture:

We shouldn't forget the area around the market in the center of town.

Plenty of gold shops there.

Libo